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Thread: Old Lowrance marks to HDS7 gen 1

  1. #1

    Old Lowrance marks to HDS7 gen 1

    I have the SD card with marks downloaded from a 2003 lowrance plotter but I can’t seem to upload those into the HDS 7 gen 1 I’ve used the instructions on lowrance help page but it’s not seeing them . Should I be using a third party program ?

  2. #2

    Re: Old Lowrance marks to HDS7 gen 1

    GPSBabel is probably the most useful tool to use. Lowrance generally uses USR file format but have at least 4 versions and they also had different format for some of their cheaper units like the Hook series. Save a file from your new unit so you know what format to convert from/to.

  3. #3

    Re: Old Lowrance marks to HDS7 gen 1

    You will need to put the card into a PC with a card reader and see what is on it for starters. As Dignity posted, early Lowrance units typically used a .USR file extension - also known as a lowrance user file. There was an earlier Lowrance program called Mapcreate that would allow you to view and edit marks - not sure if it can be downloaded and may not run on a modern OS real well. GPSBabel is probably the best of the freeware products. GPSU is another but it limits the number of points you can do on the free version. If you pay for the full version though it is a very good conversion program. I would confirm the file is still on the SD and is usable with the free version before spending your money though.

  4. #4

    Re: Old Lowrance marks to HDS7 gen 1

    Thanks guys awesome , yes it’s .USR and I recall gps Babel from years ago so will give that a try.

  5. #5
    Ausfish Platinum Member
    Join Date
    Mar 2015
    Location
    Kalbarri, WA

    Re: Old Lowrance marks to HDS7 gen 1

    I went rhrough this a few years back, old bloke up the road had a 90s Lowrance, bought a HDS7. I did the job without using any conversion software. I found that you could only save the marks, would save as .usr, but still wouldn't read. I had read that tracks and routes could screw things up, deleted all his track, still wouldn't work, then found he had accidentally created a route years that was still there. Deleted that , it all went OK. So, before you use any aftermarket stuff, just make sure you are saving in the correct .usr format, that there are no tracks in there, and no routes.
    I use GPSU nowadays, didn't have it back then. I wanted to convert my 23,000 marks collected during my commercial years, saved in CPlot. Very good program, once you buy the paid version. I have just converted a mates' .usr marks to .gpx for his new Axiom Pro.

  6. #6

    Re: Old Lowrance marks to HDS7 gen 1

    You have to use a SD card of no greater than 32GB capacity or it wont read.

    In fact if you can find a 2 GB card that would be even better. But 8 or 16 GB will be OK.

    All HDS models save waypoints as .usr format.

    When you save the waypoints from the old HDS, if thats what it was, save them as version 3 .usr. This will be easier to import into the new HDS.

    or, convert .wpt files from older non-HDS models to .usr using GPS Babel.
    Note to self: Don't argue with an idiot. They will only bring you down to their level and beat you with experience....

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